How to Use Your Network to Recruit

It’s no surprise that our networks and personal connections are our most powerful recruiting tool. Word-of-mouth is the best way to get the word out about a job opening —through credible sources who can both recommend quality candidates they know first hand, and who can also speak confidently to the strengths of your organization. Family members, friends, colleagues, and even the people in your yoga class can be the connection you need to find the perfect candidate. We put together three steps to help you get connected to your next great hire using your own social network.

Know Your Elevator Pitch

You never know who you’ll bump into when you leave the house. Maybe you’re out grocery shopping or commuting to work and you bump into an old classmate from college or a co-worker from your last job. Once you get caught up, you can confidently ask them: “Do you know any awesome web developers? I am looking to hire one and would love any recommendations you might have in your network. Good people know good people!” Practice describing the role in one short sentence out loud a couple of times, and include only the most relevant information—like the job title, location, essential skills, and level of experience.

Expand Your Social Media Network

Before you share a new job posting, think about diversifying your LinkedIn contact list or Twitter feed with relevant companies and leaders in the industry that relates to the new position. Sometimes expanding our network one or two degrees wider can introduce us to a whole new set of contacts and candidates. Look at who is innovating in the industry, who has done a lot of recent hiring in the field and dig into some of their leaders’ networks to see who they’re connected to. A little research goes a long way.

Connect in Real Life

Think about where your potential candidates spend their spare time—check out industry-related events in your city, and attend them to get connected to new people. If your job posting is in the fast-growing digital sphere, think about going to a panel or open house at a digital school, like General Assembly, which has 12 campuses across the US, or Brainstation, which has campuses in Toronto and Vancouver.

Once you’ve found strong candidates to interview, the next step is identifying the best fit for your company culture. We created a Growth Guide that helps uncover your candidates’ core values. Download the guide today and start exploring its behavioral assessment tools, tips for structuring your interviews, and actionable scenarios.